1977-78

THE 1977-78 SUNS WERE THE KIND OF CLUB General Manager Jerry
Colangelo and Head Coach John MacLeod had been building for four
years - young, athletic and able to sustain success over a long
period.

The Suns announced a blockbuster trade just before the opening
of the season: Ricky Sobers to Indiana for guard Don Buse, an
All-Star and the NBA leader in both assists and steals. With Buse
and rookie Walter Davis in the starting lineup, the Suns bolted
from the gate and were 19-11 by Christmas, 34-16 by the February
All-Star break. They finished with a 49-33 record, fourth best in
basketball, but were second in the Pacific Division behind the
formidable Portland Trail Blazers, led by Bill Walton.

It was a special year for the Suns in many ways. The Suns set
NBA records for team steals in a season (1,059) as well as tying
the league mark for assists (2,338). Davis and Paul Westphal were
among the league's top 10 scorers, both averaging better than 24
points per game; both were named second-team All-NBA and both
participated for the West at the All-Star Game in Atlanta. Westphal
also set a club record for points scored in a game with 48 in a
115-97 home victory over Denver on Nov. 27.

With Davis and Westphal leading the way, the Suns increased
their average points scored per game by eight over the year before.
Phoenix had emerged as one of the most exciting teams in the NBA,
but their Achilles Heel was rebounding. By starting the 6-6 Davis
alongside 6-6 Garfield Heard at forward, and coupled with 6-9 Alvan
Adams at center, the Suns had one of the smaller front lines in the
league, and suffered for it on the boards.

To add to the problem, at the All-Star break, the Suns lost
Curtis Perry with back problems and went the rest of the season
with five rookies on the roster, more than any other NBA club. In
the opening round of the playoffs the Suns were upset in two
straight games by the Milwaukee Bucks. They would get plenty more
chances in the postseason, however, as the 1978 appearance was the
first of eight consecutive trips to the "second season."

Davis went on to become the league's Rookie of the Year, the
second such distinction for a Suns' player since Adams won the
award in 1976. Buse was also named to the NBA All-Defensive team
and Ron Lee led the league with 2.7 steals per game.

Attendance continued to climb in 1977-78 as well. Of the 41
regular season home games, only six drew less than 10,000, as the
Suns set a season attendance record for the second consecutive
year. Those figures would continues to climb, as the Suns continued
to build, and as a result, continued to win.